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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. M. STIVERS.

FENDER FOR VEHICLES.

I Patented Mar. 15, 1887.

(No Model a Sheets-8heet 2.

R. M. STIVERS. PENDER'FOR VEHICLES No. 359,476. Patented'Mar. 15, 1887.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet a. R. M. STIVERS.

FENDER FOR VEHICLES.

No. 359,476. Patented Mar. 15, 1887.

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UNITED STAT PATENT Orricn.

. Euros M. STIVERS, on NEW YORK, n. Y.

FENDER FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,476, dated March 15, 1887. Application filed February 14, 1887; Serial No. 227,510. (No model.l

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Bonus lVL'S'IIVERS, a cltizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fenders for Vehicles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of fenders which are attached to a carriage-pole to prevent dirt or other material thrown back by the feet of the horses from striking or disfiguring the front of the vehicle,aswellas soiling or injuring its occupants. Heretofore several devices have been employed for accomplishing this purpose, among which were a large screen of wire-cloth provlded with numerous straps and buckles, for the purpose of securing it in position beneath the pole. As the material was light and bound at the edges with leather only, it required support at many points to retain it in position. An improvement on this consisted in plac ng a wire of considerable stiffness in the blndlng of the screen, which allowed it to maintain its shape when supported at only three points' These fastenin'gs consisted in covering a portion of the fender near its front edge with leather and making a hole through the same for the reception of the pole, the rear of the fender being supported by straps. A still further improvement consisted in giving to the wire or bar used for stiffening the front edge of the fender a band forming a depression at the point where it was crossed by the pole,which, with the aid of a strap attached to the fender and buckled over the pole, retained the front part of the fender in place, its rear being supported, as in the case of the others hereinbefore named, by straps buckled over the crossbars. All of these devices are more or less objectionable, as they are cumbrous in form, difficult to attach to the vehicle, requiring much time and care 'for their proper ad justment, and as-ageneral thing failing to properly fulfill the purpose for which they are designed, owing to their not coming high enough to prevent mud and other matter from being thrown over the dash-board into the faces of parties occupying the vehicle; and, further, they afford no protection to the horses from the mud thrown forward by the wheels.

The object of my invention is therefore to produce a fender that shall remedy all these defects, and that may be quickly and firmly attached or removed, and shall afford full protection to the carriage, its occupants, and also to the horses, from defacement or injury by the mud or other matters thrown from the horses feet toward the vehicle or by the wheels of the latter toward the horses; and the invention consists, essentially, in the means employed for securing the fender to the pole, and, further, to the form of the fendeig-by which it is better adapted to perform the functions required of such a device and avoid the objection of the strap attachment; also, in the supplemental wings or fenders which serve to protect the horses from mud or other filth thrown forward by the wheels; and, still further, to certain details of construction which will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures, Figure 1 is a perspective front view of the fender attached to a vehicle-pole as in position for use. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the location and arrangement of the several parts with relation to each other. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the main fender without the supplemental attachments. Fig. i is a front view of the same, showing its-construction. Fig. 5 is a detail plan showing the construction of the clamp by which the fender is attached to the pole. Fig. 6 shows a modification of the clamp, in which two screw-bolts, instead of one, are used. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the frame of the fenders before they are covered. Fig. 8 presents a side view of a portion of a carriage with the fenders attached.

In these figures, Arepresents the main part of the fender, which is composed preferably of wire-cloth, and it may be used in this condition without covering; but, if desired, this wire fabric maybe covered with some other material, such as leather or enameled cloth.

The wire fabric A, forming the body of the ICO fender, is stretched and secured at its edges to a frame, B, formed of a small metallic rod or bar, preferably steel, as giving the greatest strength with the least weight. The method of securing this fabric to the frame which I prefer consists in rolling the edges of said fabric about the bars composing the frame and then securing it in that position by wire wound spirally about the bar and its enveloping fabric, passing at each turn through the meshes of the fabric. As this method of securing the web of the fender to the frame does not present a neat appearance, I cover the frame at such points as come prominently into view with leather coverings a, which not only improves the appearance, butprevents the chafing of any part of the harness, the horses tails, or any other article which may come in contact with the frame and would be likely to suffer abrasion from the rough wire-bound surface of the frame.

A portion of the fender projects vertically above the pole to a sufficient height to insure protection to the carriage-body and its occupants, while that part beneath the pole i11- clines toward the rear and protects the running gear, as well as the lower part of the body. This portion of the fender is also preferably bifurcated, so that it may be dropped over the pole and secured in position even when the horses are attached to the vehicle, or may be disengaged, if desired, by unloosing a single fastening device and then lifting off the fender without disturbing the team.

At the junction of the vertical part with the inclined portion of the fender is placed a transverse bar, B, firmly secured at each end, by welding or other suitable means, to the side pieces of the frame B. This bar stilfens the fender and affords a support for thefastening devices, by means of which said fender is se cured in position upon the pole without the aid of straps, buckles, or other additional support. In order to still further stiffen the frame at this point, the bar B is connected with the bar B by two vertical cross-pieces, h 71, forming the sides of an opening, 0, through which the inside traces may pass to the whiffletrecs; and in order to still further stiffen the frame a portion, a, of the bar B is continued across the opening, thus making the upper edge of the fender present a continuous straight horizontal line.

The fastening devices which I prefer consist in a cruciform saddle, O, the extremities of whiclnwhcre they bear upon the pole, are covered with leather, as shown at b b, and the other extremities of the cross united, by welding or other suitable means, to the transverse bar B, thus connecting the two ends and forming a part of the said bar.

In order to secure the saddle O to the pole, I employ a bridge-piece, D, which passes under the pole, its ends being turned up and formed as hooks, which hook over the crosspiece of the saddle at each side of the pole. In the lower part of this bridge-piece is formed a screw -thrcaded orifice which receives a screw-bolt, 0. I11 using this device the fender is placed in position on the bridgepiece, hooked over the arms of the saddle and the screw turned up against the under side of the pole, thus clamping said pole firmly between the screw-bolts and saddle. To relieve the fender it is only necessary to turn the screwbolts 0 so as to relieve the bridge-piece, which is then unhooked and the fender lifted from the pole. In certain cases, however, I may make the connection as follows: Through the cross-arms of the saddle are formed two holes, 0 0. so placed that when in position one of them shall be upon each side of the pole. Through these holes 0 0 pass the screw-bolts c 0, their screw-threaded ends engaging with suitable screw-threaded orifices in opposite ends of the bridge-piece D, which passes under the pole I, and by means of the screws cause said pole to be firmly clamped between the bridge-piece and saddle, thus securing the fender firmly in position without the aid of other fastenings. It will be evident that the position of these fastening devices may be reversed, if desired, the saddle being placed below the pole and the bridge-piece above; but when used in either position it affords a quick and effective means for securing and adjusting the fender upon the pole.

The devices heretofore described relate wholly to the protection of the vehicle and its occupants.

It now remains to describe the devices which I have invented for the protection of the horses, which consist in the application to the sides of the main fender of supplemental fenders E E. These fenders are of an elongated rectangular form, slightly curved in the direction oftheir length, and may be composed of the same material as the main fender-that is, a woven-wire fabric stretched upon a metallic frame, and either left uncovered or covered with leather or other suitable material. 0011- nected to the frames of these supplemental fenders are projecting arms (I and (6, provided upon their ends with a screw-thread to receive a nut, c, the arms (I being an extension of one of the side frames of the fenders, and the arms (1 attached to the same side piece near the middle of its length and extending at an angle to said side piece, so as to form a brace for the same. At suitable points in the frame B of the main fender are formed holes 6 e, through which the extremities of the arms (I and d are passed and then secured thereto by the nuts 6 0. These supplemental fenders are thus firmly secured to the main fender and in line with the wheels of the vehicle, so that danger of soiling the horses by filth thrown from the wheels or frightening them by gravel or other matters is wholly avoided. It will be apparent that these supplemental fenders may be removed from the main fender when not needed, or when it is applied to a sleigh. The latter being without wheels, could notof course throw dirt or other matters upon the ICC horses. The method of using the fenders and the beneficial results arising from their use will be readily understood from the description of the construction and arrangement of the several parts, and need not be repeated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following:

1. As an improvement in fenders, the hereinbefore-described fender extending upwardly in a vertical direction above the pole or whiffietree and having a bifurcated inclined rear extension below said pole, substantially as specified.

2. As an improvement in fenders for vehicles, the fender projecting vertically above the pole and having an inclined rear extension, in combination with said pole, and the single fastening device by which the two are'connected, as set forth.

3. As an improvement in. vehiclefenders, the combination of the fender with the cruciform saddle having its extremities covered with leather, the bridge-plate and tightening screw bolt or bolts, arranged and operating substantially as shown and described, to se cure the fender in position by a single fasten ing device.

4:. As an improvement in vehicle-fenders, the fender composed of the vertical and inclined portions wholly surrounded by a stiffening-frame and having a transverse bar at the junction of the vertical and inclined parts, and an opening, 0, in said vertical portion for the passage of the inside traces, as set forth.

5. As an improvement in vehicle-fenders,

the woven-wire fabric wound upon the frame of said fenders and secured thereon by wire passing through the meshes of the fabric and around the frame, in combination with the leather binding a, extending along the entire top of the vertical part of the fender, covering said frame and fabric at this point, to form an ornamental finish and protect said vertical portion from abrasion, substantially as shown and described.

6. The herein-described fender, consisting of the main fender and supplemental fender connected with and supported by the carriagepole, arranged, substantially as shown, to prevent the wheels from throwing mud or other matters upon the horses, as set forth.

7. As an improvement in vehicle-fenders, the combination of the main fender secured to the pole, for protecting the vehicle and its occupants, with the supplemental fenders for protecting the horses, arranged and operating as set forth.

8. As an improvement in vehicle-fenders, the combination of the main fender with the supplemental fenders, saddle, bridge-plate,

I and screw-bolt, all arranged as described, for

the purpose of connecting and supporting said fenders from a single point upon the pole, substantially as specified. r

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnessess.

RUFUS M. sTivER's.

\Vitnes'ses:

M. T. E. CHANDLER, WARREN C. STONE. 

